The Delta Health Alliance (DHA) proposes to demonstrate the effects of diabetes management practices at[unreadable] several ambulatory clinics throughout Mississippi when utilizing well-designed, comprehensive health[unreadable] information technology. The timing of the proposed study coincides with independent plans to implement[unreadable] electronic health records at these sites; hence, an invaluable opportunity exists to compare similar practices of[unreadable] healthcare providers and health outcomes of their patients with and without utilization of a comprehensive[unreadable] health information technology system.[unreadable] The prevalence and incidence of diabetes in the U.S. are reaching epidemic proportions, and this is especially[unreadable] true in Mississippi. Over the past five years, the DHA has been sponsoring the Delta Diabetes Project (DDP), a[unreadable] regional network of clinical sites that employs a multidisciplinary chronic care model that adheres to the[unreadable] American Diabetes Association's standards of medical care for patients with diabetes. DDP providers are[unreadable] caring for approximately 5,000 patients, the majority of whom are African American, impoverished, and[unreadable] typically suffer from inadequate access to medical care.[unreadable] The proposed BLUES Project (BLUES is an acronym for Bettering Lives Utilizing Electronic Systems), is[unreadable] designed to determine whether utilization of health IT in diabetes management will enhance delivery of[unreadable] healthcare and improve health outcomes among patients. Four diabetes management clinics that employ the[unreadable] same model of diabetes care will participate in this study: two are located in an urban setting (one of which will[unreadable] utilize the health IT system), and two in a rural setting (one of which will utilize the health IT system). The[unreadable] proposed study includes three specific aims: (1) successfully implement an electronic health record (EHR)[unreadable] system in two existing diabetes management clinics, focusing on integration of the EHR into clinician[unreadable] workflows; (2) evaluate the impact of the EHR system on clinical processes of care and patient outcomes; and[unreadable] (3) based on the lessons learned and evaluation results, produce and distribute a generalizable, replicable[unreadable] model of care for implementing an integrated health IT system for diabetes management care throughout the[unreadable] U.S.